KTorrent

From MEPIS Documentation Wiki

KTorrent is a client for BitTorrent protocol. KTorrent uses .torrent files to initiate a download and to connect downloaders with the most efficient uploaders currently available. It also does error checking and correction, so downloads do not need to be md5sum checked for accuracy..

Installation / Update

Latest version available in the repositories can be installed using Synaptic or apt-get.

To get the country flags icons to show on the Peers tab, install geoip-database using Synaptic and restart ktorrent.

Simplified Setup/Use

Find a torrent file that is for what you want to seed or leach. LinuxTracker.org is a good place to start.

Download the file (usually this will go to your Downloads directory/folder. It will be labeled xxxxxxxxxx.iso.torrent. They're usually very small (55.8 kB for Mepis 8.5.03 rel1 64) and then you just navigate to the Downloads folder using Dolphin and Left-click the file.
That opens KTorrent and a dialog box that asks where to put the file it's going to download. (The .iso file that you image to a CD or DVD.) Just click the Ok button. You can also open KTorrent and other torrent programs and use their own Menu system to navigate to a torrent file you have downloaded. And if you downloaded to the part of the file system that KTorrent uses then you can use its Scan feature to pick up the torrent file and use it.

But using Dolphin, Left click on it. That should open KTorrent with a dialog box. Tell it ok. That will connect the .torrent file to KTorrent and (in this case) LinuxTracker. The .torrent file tells where the tracker is and connects KTorrent to them. LinuxTracker and KTorrent 'announce' that you are wanting the file and will automatically start downloading it. Once you have enough of the file to seed others will be allowed to download your part or parts of the file that you have gotten on your computer. Once you have a finished file (the full .iso that is) you continue to seed to gain additional prestige. There's a number that's associated with your ratio of leaching to seeding that will make it plain if you seed more that you leach when using LinuxTracker.

One nice feature of torrenting is that it's not necessary to check the MD5sum or SHA1 hash number as torrents have their own correction and checking software. You won't get a bad file unless you use a tracker that has a less than pristine reputation. Use well known and vetted trackers and stay away from illegal downloads.

Using the rest of this wiki page to setup KTorrent or Deluge will be confusing at first until you get the hang of what's happening. The defaults in either program are well thought out and don't need much tweaking at all. You might want to opt for encryption or something else that may make sense in your individual case. But by and large the defaults will work for more than 90% of ordinary Users.
It's kind of fun seeing people from all over the world get on your torrent to leach and/or seed it.

Advanced Settings: Network/TCP/UDP

Max download rate: up to you, but don't max out your available bandwidth. It usually is counter-productive.

Max upload rate: set to 8o% of your max. upload rate of your internet connection is usually best.

Maximum connections per torrent: 4

Global connection limit: 5

Enable protocol encryption

Allow unencrypted connections

1 Port 6881 is the default torrent port, but some ISP's block this port - more informations here.2 You can choose a port number starting from 49152 up to 65535.3 A different port number is required also for UDP traffic.4 Depends on your router and bandwith. Using a Fritz!Box - 60-80 connections are recommended. For others use the Settings Calculator5 Depends on your router and bandwith. Using a Fritz!Box - 100-150 connections are recommended. For others use the Settings Calculator

Advanced Settings: Filesystem

In addition to configuring the internet settings, you'll need to configure directory settings so KTorrent will work optimally with your filesystem.
Some guiding principles:

Don't use KTorrent default directories. You don't want a bunch of stuff being dumped into your /home/user directory. It will affect overall system performance.

A separate partition for filesharing is highly recommended. On that partition create the directories KTorrent can use for storing temporary files and finished downloads.

Saving .torrent files to a "scan" directory is recommended. To enable this feature in KTorrent, the Scan Folder Plugin must first be loaded.

After creating symbolic links, set up the relevant directory locations in Settings > Configure KTorrent > General. After Loading the Scan Folder Plugin you will be able to also set the Scan directory or directories in Settings > Configure KTorrent > ScanFolder.

If you are unsure about how to create symbolic links in your /home/user directory to other data partitions, see the tutorial in the Links Section below: "Safe and Easy Data Storage Outside the /home "

Downloading a file

You need to download a .torrent file, usually from a tracker site (e.g., linuxtracker.org)

Open the file by clicking on it.

Make sure that in your firewall you have the ports used by KTorrent open for connections.

Usually a torrent download starts very slow and accelerates once more people join the torrent swarm and start to share larger portions of the file between them. This is different from FTP downloads, where more people results in slower download speeds for everyone. This is because, unlike the one-way server-to-client model of the FTP download, the Bit-Torrent protocol allows all clients connected to a central tracker to download and upload numbered segments of the file (called "chunks") simultaneously between themselves.

Also, unlike FTP, a bit-torrent client like KTorrent automatically error-checks the downloaded files, as each chunk completes. There is no need to do a separate md5sum after the download is completed.

Seeding a file

Seeding means uploading to other people the file that you finished downloading. As a common rule of thumb, torrent users should seed at least to a sharing ratio of 2.00 (meaning that they upload double the amount they downloaded). Seeding happens automatically once the file is downloaded. In any given torrent swarm (group of people all sharing the same torrent), the more seeders who remain on line, the more efficient the torrent becomes. Every leecher (person still downloading the file) will get faster total download speeds, as the uploading work is being shared by more sources. Similarly, each seeder will be needing to use less of her/his bandwidth. Everybody wins —if everybody plays nice!

Seeding a file which was already downloaded

Download the .torrent file from LinuxTracker.org and put it in KTorrent's "scan" directory.

Open the bit torrent client (i.e. KTorrent) and add that .torrent file if it doesn't load automatically.

KTorrent will now check your ISO file based on the checksums in the .torrent file and if it is OK, it will start seeding. If it's not OK, KTorrent will download only the necessary chunks to "heal" the ISO. ( Way cool!)